August 7, 2013

Hola Familia!!

District E left this week. This one was particularly hard because they didn't have sisters in their district so we became their sisters. They didn't learn Spanish that well so we did "quiz game" with them and they were just awesome. After Sunday devotional we went back to our classroom to plan and found a note and 4 flowers (one for each sister) to thank us! They are so sweet. 

I learned how to lasso! I didn't actually lasso the chair I was being taught on but I can say I'm from Nebraska and I have lasso'd!

This week at sand volleyball we played District E vs. District B. It was hilarious we were laughing like the whole time!! It was nuts! One Hermana made me cry I was laughing so hard! everytime the ball came near her she'd go  "OH NO!" of  "AH AH AH!" Also I forgot to tell you about last week but one Elder is pretty legit at volleyball and he spiked a ball right at me. I being AWESOME *to be sung in a Barney Stinson like manner* returned it and one Hna. was like "Yeah Hermana Zendejas take it like a man!" ha ha ha ha

  

Speaking of teachers... We have like 9 teachers. 3 Main ones but one day we had 7 teachers. Its kinda ridiculous but I like it especially when they can work with us in companionships its kinda awesome.

So apparently they aren't phasing out our zone they are phasing out Spanish in our zone and turning it into Spanish! We are getting 2 new districts in today. Both are Portuguese! That means I actually get to train as a Sister Training Leader! Whoot! Entonces...Ruben might be in my zone or district!!! If you are you are in for a TREAT! Our branch presidency is legit! Pres. was a former 70. He has the scriptures like memorized. We will just be talking and he'll be writing scriptures down on the whiteboard like after devotional. 

Tuesday we Skyped for Training Resource center with someone from Panama. The connection was bad and we only taught for like 15 minutes. Then we started Skyping with one of our teacher's friends from her mission who lives in Texas. His brother in law (cuñero) isn't a member so he asked us to talk to him. We taught him the first lesson in English!! It was amazing and so hard to teach in English. I kept wanting to say things in Spanish and then catch myself. Also we taught him about the atonement a little. Come to find out later that he was going through some post tramatic stress disorder and has been depressed. Teach by the Spirit and didn't even know it at the time! During the lesson he was like "Jesus is my homie" Hahahaha It was such an awesome experience! Also, someone was listening in and told us that he got goosebumps from our lesson! That shocked me more than anything. He said that the Spirit was strong during the lesson. I hope so! Its nice to know that all this studying is doing some good.

  

So our Lesson with Roberto was less than sub-par. We tried teaching him about the Plan of Salvation. He got caught up in the Fall of Adam and Eve and then when we told him the story from Genesis he was like I don't get it. So we tried explaining it more. Didn't work out. We told him to read 2 Nephi 2 again and went into the classroom baffled. It was bad. We told the teacher and he was like "We've got coaching missionary study today. I'll work with you two" Holy Heck. Thank goodness that our lesson went so bad or I might not have known how AMAZING the Fall of Adam is and how infinitely better our Heavenly Father's Plan for us is than our plan. God is a GENIUS! I'm gonna teach the Fall of Adam to ya'll like my teacher taught my comp and me. This is pretty much the fall and lesson 2 in a nutshell. If people understand the Fall they will understand the need for the atonement. Heavenly Father is legit!  

Christ under the Direction and Power of God created the Earth. Then He created Adam and Eve. They lived in the Garden of Eden, in God's presence in a state of innocence. They are innocent but still have agency, this is important! God gave Adam and Eve two commandments: 1. Do not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 2. Multiply and Replenish (have a family). The Serpent/Satan is in the Garden and tempts Eve to eat of the fruit. Eve, knowing that she needs to keep both commandments but can't because of her innocent state, partakes of the fruit because she knows that the greater of the two commandments is to start a family. Adam must partake of the Fruit because Adam can't fulfill both commandments without Eve. God planned it so they had agency, ability to choose, to remain in the Garden and keep the "don't eat the fruit" commandment or partake and begin a family. Because they were innocent this breaking of a commandment wasn't a sin but a transgression. They are cast out of the presence of God and Eden. This is called the Fall of Adam.  There are 3 consequences of the Fall. 1. Adam and Eve are able to have children. This is important because we are here! Awesome right! Thanks Eve! 2. We are mortal. Everyone dies. We call this Physical Death. 3. We can die spiritually. This is called sinning or doing things that makes us farther away from our Heavenly Father. Because of Physical Death and Sin (Spiritual Death) We can't return to live with God. We need a Savior. Jesus Christ is our Savior. Christ needed to have both mortal and God-like qualities. Mortal (from Mary) because he needed to be able to die and God-like qualities because he needed the power to overcome death and sin. There are two parts to the atonement overcoming Physical death and 2. overcoming spiritual death. He overcame spiritual death in the Garden of Gethsemane through his suffering. "Father if thou are willing remove this cup from me..." He suffered and sweated drops of blood from every pore so that we could through him repent and become clean. We can utilize this great sacrifice by having Faith in Jesus Christ, faith enough to act. This action is repentance. After repentance we must be baptized to be fully cleansed of our sins. After Baptism it is necessary for us to have the Gift of the Holy Ghost to complete baptism and purify us. Then we must endure to the end. We must continuously repent because we are not perfect. We sin everyday. Enduring to the end keeps us clean until we can live with our father again. Christ then overcame physical death on the Cross and then 3 days later being resurrected. because of his resurrection we have immortality. We can't be perfect until we are resurrected. Christ wasn't perfect until He was resurrected. In Matthew on the Sermon on the Mount He said, "Be ye therefore perfect even as my Father in Heaven is perfect" When he visited the people of the Book of Mormon, the Nephites, He said, "Be ye therefore perfect even as I am" This is another reason the Book of Mormon is a second witness of Christ!! We need BOTH books to receive a fullness of the truth of the Gospel of Christ. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, an apostle, stated that the Creation, Fall and Atonement are intertwined. 
Creation- gives us a setting

Fall- provides a need for the Atonement

Atonement- justifies the fall

The Fall and Atonement together give purpose for the creation!

Is your mind blown yet?!? Mine was! Maybe ya'll are smarter than I am and got it before but Holy Heck so cool right! Genius!! The Church is true! Let's get to work letting people know that there is something out there that can answer all question and makes complete and utter sense. This is called the Gospel of Christ and you can find it in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Contact your local missionaries. NOW!...wait but ya'll are members so go tell your friends!

After this incredible lesson Roberto felt bad that we felt bad and he told us that my comp. and I were his heroes! It was just a good day. If you want more insight and just a burst of the spirit of awesomeness and revelation read Bruce R. McConkie's talk entitled "Chirst and the Creation" AMAZING!

On another note: I invite ya'll to read D&C 115: 10 becuase its pretty much talking about my district! Yes, we entered the MTC on the 3rd but work started on the 4th for us really. LEGIT! Que en el MUNDO the Church is True!

We had our last devotional last night (weird right!?!?). Elder Jay E. Jensen gave it about scripture study! It was awesome. I am in the midst of making a pretty solid scripture journal. 

We get our reassignment either tomorrow or Friday. I get to email when we get it so ya'll will be the first to know!

Random fact about my comp. She likes to scare the bajebuz outta me. There are mice that run around the gardens. She points at the bushes and yells "ratónes!" I, being me and inheriting mother's jumpyness, ;) scream. Last time there were elders behind us and they thought I had some sort of epileptic seizure or heart attack or something. Not funny. She finds it Hilarious. :/ Another? She also says "but" all the time and she says it like the kids from Kid History... "But! if you buy 4 completos its only 4 dollars. But! if you buy 5 completos its only 5 Dollars...But!" anyway...

GRACIAS PARA LA SALSA!!!! It was amazing and hit the spot and just yummy. I finally was able to buy chips yesterday so I had it for dinner last night!! Mmmmmmm....Chips and Salsa. So. GOOD! And it wasn't this wimpy spaghetti sauce stuff they had. Delicious!!!!

Hope ya'll are having a great time! Keep me posted I'm loving the letters!!!

Vaya Con Dios y Les Amo Mucho!!

Hermana Lexi Zendejas